Dr. Yvonne Hernandez-Kapila Named an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow

Over a 30-plus-year career, Dr. Yvonne Hernandez-Kapila has advanced knowledge of periodontal disease, oral and neck cancers, and the effect of the human microbiome/virome on these illnesses.

Now, the UCLA School of Dentistry’s associate dean for research and holder of the Felix and Mildred Yip Endowed Chair will be recognized as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals.

Dr. Hernandez-Kapila is among the 471 scientists, engineers, and innovators – including 10 from UCLA – elected as 2024 AAAS Fellows for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements throughout their careers. They will be formally celebrated at a forum in Washington, D.C. on June 7.

She is the sixth School of Dentistry faculty member elevated to the ranks of AAAS Fellow, joining Drs. David Wong (2006), Francesco Chiappelli (2011), Paul Krebsbach (2011), No-Hee Park (2012), and Ichiro Nishimura (2017).

“I am humbled to be included among this elite cohort of scientists to earn recognition as AAAS Fellows,” Dr. Hernandez-Kapila said. “My work – and that of my dedicated team of researchers – is driven by a simple philosophy: Discover new frontiers in science while training the next generation of investigators to do the same.”

A professor of periodontics as well as biosystems and function, Dr. Hernandez-Kapila recently secured a School-record $20.5M NIH grant to lead the Human Virome Characterization Center. Anchored at UCLA, the Center will be leveraging UCLA leadership and the collective expertise of interdisciplinary scientists nationwide over the next five years to advance understanding of the virome's role in human health and disease across the oral–gut–brain axis.

Her previous work has identified important host-microbe interactions and cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern oral cancer carcinogenesis and the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. Through leadership positions at UCLA, UC San Francisco, and the University of Michigan, she has helmed research teams in both basic and clinical investigations.

Dr. Hernandez-Kapila’s research has been supported by continuous funding from the NIH throughout her career. The Hernandez-Kapila Lab is currently engaged in multiple projects studying host-bacterial interactions, the oral microbiome, and inflammatory status in cancer patients. Simultaneously, Dr. Hernandez-Kapila is committed to mentoring aspiring scientists through her leadership of the K12 training program at UCLA and the Dental Research Fellowship Program for Bruin D.D.S. students.

“This year’s class of Fellows are the embodiment of scientific excellence and service to our communities,” said Sudip S. Parikh, Ph.D., AAAS chief executive officer and executive publisher of the Science family of journals. “At a time when the future of the scientific enterprise in the U.S. and around the world is uncertain, their work demonstrates the value of sustained investment in science and engineering.”

Dr. Hernandez-Kapila’s body of work has been recognized through numerous awards, including:

• ADA Norton M. Ross Award for Excellence in Clinical Research (2024)
• The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) Clinical Research Award (2024)
• UCSF Alumni Discovery Award (2021)
• The American Associations for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research Irwin D. Mandel Distinguished Mentoring Award (2019)
• The AAP Distinguished Scientist Award (2019)
• The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) GSK Innovation in Oral Care Award (2014), among many others